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19 January 2016

Review: Redeeming Cade by Susan Crawford

Feel-good Romance with a Message of Redemption

Ex-con Cade McGuire is the new Assistant Director of the MidTown Rescue Mission in Oklahoma City, and he credits the mission with introducing him to God and turning his life around after his release from prison. All is going well until he meets aspiring politician Darby Phillips, whose plans for a new MidTown Entertainment District don’t include the mission.

I wasn’t convinced Redeeming Cade was the right title—most of the novel seemed to be about redeeming Darby. I’d like to have seen a little more of her spiritual regeneration, as it was never clear if she was anything more than a cultural Christian (as opposed to Cade, who was definitely saved). My only other complaint was that the ending felt too abrupt—the Kindle version finished at 81%, and we then got long samples from two other novels from the publisher (both excellent books, I might add).

Despite this, Redeeming Cade was an enjoyable feel-good contemporary Christian romance about the power of God to give us second (and third, and fourth . . . ) chances. The plot was solid, the characters were likeable and believable, and it was a well-written and entertaining read with some thought-provoking lines. Recommended.